Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
Cook County has partnered with South Suburban College to create the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center). This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. More information about materials accepted at the CHaRM Center can be found below.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ALN 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Location
15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473. The drop-off site is located on north side of campus in the overflow parking lot. Enter at traffic signal on State Street.
Hours
- Every Tuesday: 7 a.m. - noon
- Every Thursday: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- 2nd Saturday every month: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (TVs accepted during Saturday hours only)
Please note: The CHaRM Center may close during inclement weather such as extreme heat, tornados or lightning. Click here for updates posted to South Suburban College's Facebook page.
Commercial and industrial waste is not accepted. Materials may not be dropped off outside of operating hours. Property is under 24-hour video surveillance. Illegal dumping is a crime. Violators may be fined up to $10,000 per Cook County, IL, Code of Ordinances ch. 30, §131 (2017).
Accepted Items and Materials
Click each drop-down menu below to learn more about acceptable and unacceptable items. For more information on ways to dispose of other types of waste, please visit the Green Guide Library.
Residential recycling will go to a material recovery facility where it will be sorted by type and recycled into new materials and products. Please rinse food/drink residue from plastic, metal and glass before recycling. Remove staples and paper clips. Keep lids and caps on bottles and jars or place in trash. Check out our Story Map about where your waste and recycling go from the curb and CHaRM Center!
Paper and Cardboard
Accepted: Moving boxes, food boxes, shipping boxes, cardboard or paper envelopes and folders, newspaper, mail and magazines, notebook paper, scrap paper and cartons.
Not Accepted: Shredded paper, to-go cups, paper plates soiled with food, greasy cardboard or pizza boxes, coated paper take out containers, tissue paper, sparkly wrapping paper, paper towels and napkins.
Plastic
Accepted: Hard plastic containers and bottles (water bottles, milk jugs, detergent containers, etc.) as well as #1 and #2 plastic to-go containers.
Not Accepted: Plastic utensils, flexible plastics (bags, straws, wrapping from food or packaging), bubble wrap, styrofoam, packing peanuts and foam packaging. See the Styrofoam section for details about recycling stryrofoam at the CHaRM Center.
Metal
Accepted: Steel/tin food cans and aluminum beverage cans.
Not Accepted: Aluminum soiled with food, loose tabs or bottle caps, razor blades, needles or sharps.
Glass
Accepted: Brown, green and clear food and beverage bottles and jars.
Not Accepted: Small pieces of broken glass and Pyrex or head-resistant glass.
Electronics, functioning and non-functioning IT-related electronics will be responsibly refurbished or recycled.
Computers and Accessories
Accepted: Laptops, tablets, desktop PCs, flat screen monitors, cables and accessories, circuit boards/cards, computer mice, computer power supplies, gaming devices, hard drives, keyboards, media speakers and network devices.
Home Entertainment
Accepted: Cable set top box (analog, digital, satellite), accessories and cables, stereo equipment, Hi-Fi speakers, video players, digital cameras, DVD players, video cameras and game consoles.
Plasma, LCD, large screen TVs, and CRT/tube Monitors and TVs are accepted during Saturday hours only.
Servers and Data Centers
Accepted: Servers, storage arrays, network related equipment, power distribution units, routers and switches, cabling, switchgear, panelboard, mainframe equipment and server racks.
Mobile Devices
Accepted: Cell phones/smart phones, personal digital assistants and MP3 players.
Office Items
Accepted: Landline phones and communication devices, ink and toner cartridges, fax machines, video and audio equipment, PBX systems, projection equipment, security equipment, receivers and transmitters, desktop printers, large format printers and copiers and smart boards.
Clothing, textiles and other household items will be reused when possible and recycled if no longer usable. Please make sure items are washed and completely dry before placing in a plastic bag.
Clothing
Accepted: Blouses, pants, swimsuits, coats, scarves, ties, dresses, shirts, tops (any kind), hats, socks, formal wear, jackets, suits, undergarments, jeans, sweaters and all baby/infant clothing.
Not Accepted: Wet, moldy or dirty clothing.
Shoes and Accessories
Accepted: All shoes are accepted, backpacks, gloves, office supplies, belts, handbags, purses, computer bags, luggage, tote bags, fashion jewelry and wallets.
Household and Textiles
Accepted: Bedspreads, washcloths, sleeping bags, drapes, blankets, home/wall decor, sheets, curtains, pictures/artwork, sofa covers, shower curtains, small area rugs/floor mats, towels, quilts, vases, pillows, baskets, books, kitchen dishes, glasses, holders/shakers and utensils.
Not Accepted: Furniture, electronics, paints, mattresses and cleaners/liquids.
Toys
Accepted: Plastic toys, baby toys, games (with all pieces), plush toys, wooden toys, stuffed toys and dolls.
Not Accepted: Wet, dirty or moldy toys.
Furniture and small appliances in working condition will be refurbished and reused or resold through community partners.
Tools
Accepted: Power tools with cords free of damage, miscellaneous hardware, hand tools, woodworking and metalworking equipment.
Appliances
Accepted: Air conditioners, microwaves and small kitchen appliances.
Furniture
Accepted: Coffee tables, desks, end tables, high-chairs, kitchen chairs, playpens and upholstered chairs.
Not Accepted: Sofas/couches, bed frames, mattresses, damaged items, wet, moldy or dirty furniture.
Styrofoam packaging and food and beverage storage waste will be condensed and recycled into new foam.
Styrofoam
Accepted: Foam packaging waste from appliances, furniture, TV’s and electronics, foam coolers, food service foam (egg cartons, trays, takeout clamshells, cups and plates) and foam packing peanuts. Please remove tape and labels before dropping off and all foam must be clean, dry and have no food particles attached, these items are only accepted at the CHaRM Center.
Not Accepted: Any foam with food, tape or label contamination or material featuring any recycle number other than '6'.
Personal healthcare equipment in working condition will be refurbished and reused or resold through community partners.
Personal Healthcare Equipment
Accepted: Wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, walking sticks, walkers, canes, back braces as well as bath and shower seats.
Questions
For any questions or if you’re a recycler interested in partnering with the County at the CHaRM Center, please email wasteandrecycling@cookcountyil.gov or call 312-603-8200, option 2.